Determining an angular position of an output gear
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A device for determining an angular position of an output gear, the device comprising:
- an output gear;
a first pinion engaging said output gear, said first pinion having a K-number of teeth, said first pinion being rotationally coupled to a first angular position sensor configured to determine an angular position of said first pinion;
a second pinion engaging said output gear, said second pinion having an L-number of teeth, a difference between L and K being a non-zero integer, said second pinion being rotationally coupled to a second angular position sensor configured to determine an angular position of said second pinion; and
a controller electrically connected to said first angular position sensor and said second angular position sensor, said controller being configured to determine an angular position of said output gear by determining a pinion phase difference, which is a difference between said angular position of said first pinion and said angular position of said second pinionwherein;
said pinion phase difference increases as said output gear rotates in a first direction from an initial angular position to an intermediate angular position, andsaid pinion phase difference decreases as said output gear rotates in said first direction from said intermediate angular position to said initial angular position.
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Abstract
The angular position of an output gear can be determined from the phase difference between the angular positions of pinions engaged with the output gear. The first pinion can have a K-number of teeth, the second pinion can have an L-number of teeth, and the output gear can have an M-number of teeth. The relationship between K, L, and M can include the following: M is the least common multiple of K and L; and the absolute value of the difference between M divided by K and M divided by L is one. It can also be said that the absolute value of L subtracted from K is a non-zero integer.
9 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A device for determining an angular position of an output gear, the device comprising:
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an output gear; a first pinion engaging said output gear, said first pinion having a K-number of teeth, said first pinion being rotationally coupled to a first angular position sensor configured to determine an angular position of said first pinion; a second pinion engaging said output gear, said second pinion having an L-number of teeth, a difference between L and K being a non-zero integer, said second pinion being rotationally coupled to a second angular position sensor configured to determine an angular position of said second pinion; and a controller electrically connected to said first angular position sensor and said second angular position sensor, said controller being configured to determine an angular position of said output gear by determining a pinion phase difference, which is a difference between said angular position of said first pinion and said angular position of said second pinion wherein; said pinion phase difference increases as said output gear rotates in a first direction from an initial angular position to an intermediate angular position, and said pinion phase difference decreases as said output gear rotates in said first direction from said intermediate angular position to said initial angular position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A device for determining an angular position of an output gear, the device comprising:
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an output gear; a first pinion engaging said output gear, said first pinion having a K-number of teeth, said first pinion being rotationally coupled to a first angular position sensor configured to determine an angular position of said first pinion; a second pinion engaging said output gear, said second pinion having an L-number of teeth, a difference between L and K being a non-zero integer, said second pinion being rotationally coupled to a second angular position sensor configured to determine an angular position of said second pinion; and a controller electrically connected to said first angular position sensor and said second angular position sensor, said controller being configured to determine an angular position of said output gear by determining a pinion phase difference, which is a difference between said angular position of said first pinion and said angular position of said second pinion, wherein; said output gear has an M-number of teeth, where M is a least common multiple of K and L, and said controller is further configured to determine said angular position of said output gear by (i) dividing said angular position of said first pinion by a gear ratio between said output gear and said first pinion to produce a fine measurement, and (ii) adding said fine measurement to said pinion phase difference. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A process of determining an angular position of an output gear, the process comprising:
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determining an angular position of a first pinion engaged with said output gear, said first pinion having a K-number of teeth; determining an angular position of a second pinion engaged with said output gear, said second pinion having an L-number of teeth, a difference between L and K being a non-zero integer; and determining an angular position of said output gear from a pinion phase difference, wherein said pinion phase difference is a difference between said angular position of said first pinion and said angular position of said second pinion, wherein; said pinion phase difference increases as said output gear rotates in a first direction from an initial angular position to an intermediate angular position, and said pinion phase difference decreases as said output gear rotates in said first direction from said intermediate angular position to said initial angular position. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A process of determining an angular position of an output gear, the process comprising:
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determining an angular position of a first pinion engaged with said output gear, said first pinion having a K-number of teeth; determining an angular position of a second pinion engaged with said output gear, said second pinion having an L-number of teeth, a difference between L and K being a non-zero integer; and determining an angular position of said output gear from a pinion phase difference, wherein said pinion phase difference is a difference between said angular position of said first pinion and said angular position of said second pinion, wherein; said output gear has an M-number of teeth, where M is a least common multiple of K and L, and said determining said angular position of said output gear comprises; dividing said angular position of said first pinion by a gear ratio between said output gear and said first pinion to produce a fine measurement, rounding said pinion phase difference to an integer multiple of a value of 360 divided by said gear ratio to produce a rounded value of said pinion phase difference, and adding said fine measurement to said rounded value of said pinion phase difference.
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23. A process of determining an angular position of an output gear, the process comprising:
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determining an angular position of a first pinion engaged with said output gear, said first pinion having a K-number of teeth; determining an angular position of a second pinion engaged with said output gear, said second pinion having an L-number of teeth, a difference between L and K being a non-zero integer; and determining an angular position of said output gear from a pinion phase difference, wherein said pinion phase difference is a difference between said angular position of said first pinion and said angular position of said second pinion, where said determining said angular position of said output gear comprises adding a rounded value of said pinion phase difference to said angular position of said first pinion divided by a gear ratio of said output gear to said first pinion. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. A device for determining an angular position of an output gear, the device comprising:
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an output gear; a first pinion engaging said output gear, said first pinion having a K-number of teeth, said first pinion being rotationally coupled to a first angular position sensor configured to determine an angular position of said first pinion; a second pinion engaging said output gear, said second pinion having an L-number of teeth, a difference between L and K being a non-zero integer, said second pinion being rotationally coupled to a second angular position sensor configured to determine an angular position of said second pinion; and a controller electrically connected to said first angular position sensor and said second angular position sensor, said controller being configured to determine an angular position of said output gear by determining a pinion phase difference, which is a difference between said angular position of said first pinion and said angular position of said second pinion, where said controller is further configured to determine said angular position of said output gear by adding a rounded value of said pinion phase difference to said angular position of said first pinion divided by a gear ratio of said output gear to said first pinion. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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Specification